Oliver Cromwell (person)

Oliver Cromwell is one of those figures from history who show that you don't have to be nice to become famous. He was an avowed Puritan, and thought that the best way to support Parliament and establish a fair, Christiangovernment for Britain was to start a war, have the King executed for being king, and set himself up as dictator instead. 1066 and All That describes the cavaliers as wromantic but wrong and Cromwell's Roundheads as repulsive but right. I'd keep the bit about the cavaliers, but to my mind, the Roundheads were wrepulsive and wrong. The Puritans prevented people from celebrating at Christmas, and vandalised numerous medieval churches. Cromwell was succeeded as Lord Protector by his son, Richard 'Tumbledown Dick' Cromwell. Having been the recipient of this dramatic move against hereditary monarchy, Dick resigned. King Dick's hatband was made of sand.Charles II duly became king, and a fresh wave of religious repression took place.

For this magnificent contribution to British history, Oliver Cromwell got several streets and the like named after him, and there is a statue of him outside the Houses of Parliament. Some people still think he might have been a Good Thing.